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CHILDREN'S (;A!vIE—Playing Noah's Ark.
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
\'oL. XIII. Raleigh, September, 1895. No. i.
EUGENE C. HARRELL, --_--.. Editor.
SCHOOL DAYS.
BY REED SAVAGE, KANSAS, ILL-As
we in the school-room gather,
Each one from his home so dear,
May we feel the strain of dut}'
In the work we're doing here.
Work to ns is ever pleasant,
While our minds in knowledge grow;
Well we know that in the future,
We our knowledge gained must show.
Then each morning as we gather,
We will ever keep in view,
That our future lives are moulded
By the acts w^e daily do.
May we then with constant effort
Strive to others to be kind,
Leaving selfish thought and actions
From the ever-peaceful mind.
Well we know the time is coming
When our school life will be o'er,
And no more we'll meet together,
As we oft have done before.
Let's in honor grow with knowledge,
That in evil we'll ne'er fall,
And in manhood's field of action
There will be a place for all.
2 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER,
ON SPELLING.
ThQ JVews of March 23d, in "Editorial Notes," quotes
from a letter to the Louisville Courier Journal. The writer
cites flagrant cases of bad spelling, and sa}-s : " We are neg-lecting
spelling, and doing pupils a great wrong. I believe
that there should be spelling every day through the school
course, up to the day of graduation."
This is the correct view ; spelling should be an every-day
exercise. It should be incidental with all pupils, and stated
with all except those who are doing their first school work.
It is at this stage of the work that the foundation of spell-ing,
good or bad, is laid and nnich of the latter can be traced
to the word method of teaching reading, or rather to the
faulty method of using it, spelling being entirely neglected.
The pupil should be taught to spell from the printed or
written form, and also without the form in view, ever}- word
he has learned as a whole. If this course be pursued he
learns to recognize the letters and their power in words, and,
by the time his vocabulary numbers a hundred or more
words, he will have acquired the ability to master new
words of equal difficulty, unaided, and he will not be obliged
to turn appealingly to his teacher whenever he meets a new
word. More than this, he will have learned the first lesson
in the road to success—self dependence.
Learning to spell is almost wholly an exercise of memory,
and it cannot be begun too early in the work of school.
The pupil who has the ability to read lessons, such as are
found in ordinary first readers, and has not learned to spell
correctly, from memory, most of the words found in those
lessons, bids fair to add another to the list of bad spellers.
W. H. Payne says : ''Many teachers of the word method
have overlooked the necessity of causing the child to learn
the names of the letters, to recognize them at sight, just as
THK NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 3
the\' ha\'e learned to recognize words, and to name those
letters in their established order." A grave blunder ! Give
the child the ability to nse the same means that ever}- advo-cate
of the word method, as well as of every other method,
nses whenever confronted with those nnpronounceable
names that are daily met with in onr magazines and cosmo-politan
newspapers—the ability to spell and syllabify.
Until yon have done this yon have failed to eqnip him
properly.
It may raise a smile to the lips of those who see no good
in any except so-called new methods, to say that pnpils
should be taiight " to name those letters in their established
order." Nevertheless, the fact remains, that pnpils who
have not acquired this knowledge are not prepared to use
intelligently or successfully either a dictionary or an ency-clopaedia.
While I would not discard the word method,
still less would I neglect to teach the letters and spelling.
—
Educational Neivs.
For The Xokth Carolina Teachek.
PSYCHOLOGIC CLOUDS.
BY E. R. DICKSON, COAL CREEK, TENN.
If, as some people think, education means scholarship,
then there is very little of value in those formulas which
the progressionists have chosen to call methods of training
which the}' wish to substitute for the wear}- plodding
required by that system of education which recognizes criti-cal
knowledge of a subject as the best evidence of the high-est
training to be obtained either in the college or in the
school. Of the many short roads advertised to take one
past "the wearisome bitterness of his learning," and to put
his mind in such condition that it grasps the difficulties of
learnins: and of teaching with the ease and o;race of an ath-
L,_
4 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
lete when posing before the camera, Pedagogic Psychology
is now considered by far the most important. For it is
confidently asserted that one who is posted in psychologic
dicta can take hold of the stndent's mind and make it per-form.
We are not informed as to the how of this operation,
but the professionals who hold forth at institutes and asso-ciations
say "the thing can be done;" that Psychology is
the key to teaching and to learning. Aristophanes, in the
Clouds, has not made Socrates and Strepsiades sa}- more
absurd things than many of the exponents of reform are
saying in reference to education. When Strepsiades asks
in wonder, if thought waters the cresses, and Socrates, in his
basket swinging above the stage, is made to sa\- that being
above the earth he thinks of things beneath the sun, they
are not at all mpre silly than the pedagogic Psychologists
who direct teachers and professors to apply the principles
of Psychology to the minds of their pupils, and thus become
successful teachers. A leader not only in psychologic inves-tigations,
but also in the mythical new education, said to
his hearers, "teach your pupils to think, and that is better
than words and memor}." Was ever a sentence uttered
which contained more absurd inconsistencies than this?
Who ever taught a pupil to think ? but suppose that one
can teach thinking as he teaches reading and the multipli-cation
table, then how is thinking better than words and
memory, since without words and memory thinking is not
possible? Without memory the lecturer could never have
made that silh- statement. Yet it is wonderful with what
eagerness not only the public but. the teachers grasp such
statements and hold them as treasures of thought too good
for any place except where the multitude listens. When
the talker of the Cook County Normal drew from the dust
of ages the statement, " we learn to do h\ doing," every
man and every woman that had interest in the affairs of
education listened to that statement at the institute and in
THE NOirriT CAROIJNA TEACHER. 5
the lecture hall, and read it in educational literature until
it became stereotyped upon memory. And furthermore
many thought it a wonderful truth just brought to light,
and that it would push forward education. Possibly it did
help the cause, for if one should say " w^e dance when we
dance," though none might be expected to go into ecstacies
over it, }'et no one could estimate the influence which such
a statement might have upon the w'orld, provided it were
uttered b)- a specialist in educational reform. But Psy-chology
is now the thing that modern thought demands as
the booming factor in the process of mental training on the
basis of what is termed modern thought. "Teach," says a
great authorit}-, "so that your instruction be in conformit}-
with mental operations." Since one could not present a
subject contrary to mental operations, the advice seems to
be useless. "Study Psychology in order that you may
understand the mental aptitude of him whose mind you are
to direct." " Pedagogic Psychology," says a Forum writer,
"is a boon to progressive education." Another says: "We
want in all progressive instruction young blood and Psy-chology."
What an array of w^ants? How easily some people sa)-
strange things. When Monsieur Jourdin discovered that he
had been speaking prose all his life he was astounded at his
progress in learning.
But Youngblood has the call, because he is young blood
and only needs Psychology, and a German pedagogue by
name Sinduer has written a treatise on Psychology-, upon
which he has bestowed the prenomen Empirical in compli-ment,
probably, to the schoolmen that are experimenting
upon the credulity of the public. If Youngblood should
buy the book, he would at least be the possessor of the book
which contains a statement of the latest craze of pedagogic
Empiricism. As for his studying it to the mastery of the
same, the chances that he will accomplish the feat are about
6 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER
equal to the loth term of a decreasing series. But he can
try Lindner's psychologic projectile upon his own psyche
and note the effect. He will then be all the better pre-pared
to take hold of another's psyclie and put it to rights.
For example he might try this: "If one wishes to subject
the arrest of concepts to mathematical calculation in order
to calculate the share of the partial concepts in arrest, one
must know- first the sum of the arrest and secon,d the rela-tion
of the arrest. Then in order to calculate the share in
arrest of A and B, one needs onl)- to apply the rule of
"Fellowship." Of perception Mr. Lindner makes the fol-lowing
lucid statement: "The perception is nothing more
than a sensation isolated from all others, and outw^ardly
projected." The youngblood experimenter can take a sen-sation,
isolate it (a thing just as simple in performance as
to calculate the force of thought), then project it outwardly,
but not inwardl)-, since in that case the projectile might
disturb the psycho physic balance of the hydrostatic condi-tion
of the inner consciousness and establish a hydraulic
condition of the same. The experimenter should be care-ful
not to project the sensation to too gTcat a distance, for
the concept thus formed from a sensation should be kept in
a psycic flask for future "reference." A psycic laboratory
would be something unique, and the hustler who first estab-lishes
one will rush to the front and gather in the sheckles.
For the public are just in that state of mind which makes
people credulous of the impossible and eager for the sensa-tional,
and like the primaeval Athenians, the public are
readv to sacrifice to t.he o-od of veracity an^ new comer who
has not something wonderful to tell. Prof. Lindner proves
(to his own satisfaction) that there is a pS}'cho physic curve,
and treats increase of stimulus and sensation in accordance
with parts of a connic section, then gravely states that sen-sation
increases at the rate of i, 2, 3, while stimulus increases
at the rate of i, 2, 4. To make a success of the prepara-
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 7
tion, sensation should be started first, so that being isolated
and projected ontwardh- it may become a concept before
stiniulns overtakes it, and thus the experimenter can save
the useless expenditure of Lindner's " Soul Substance."
We learn from Lindner that "the soul is a simple sub-stance."
Mr. Lindner certainly belongs to the School of
Cloud Philosophers, for though he insists that his defini-tions
are clear and stripped of all pomposity of language,
he nevertheless gives us the following : " An idea is an inner
unextended time condition, and the totality of our ideas is
consciousness, and the synthesis of consciousness is self-consciousness."
The teacher, to get in contact with the
soul substance of his pupils, must know their inner unex-tended
time conditions before he can teach them to project
their sensations outwardly and view the precept ; but, says
Lindner, " Sensation is a constant magnitude—Zero." The
simpletons who delight in mysticism and vagaries, can now
revel at the feast of Clouds. Dean Swift tells of an associa-tion
for the extraction of sunbeams from cucumbers. We
may yet have one for the bottling of " inner time condi-tions."
If a pharmacist should label his bottles and then
hermetically seal them in order that they might not be used,
he would fairly represent the use to be made of Psychology
in teaching. These are mental phenomena, and we may
classify and label them according to our own idiosyncracies.
But who can produce ' these phenomena? Nevertheless,
these mind controllers propose to handle the intellect just
as butchers hang their meat upon hooks for their customers
to view. The educational force of mental phenomena is
simply historical, beyond this we are at the beginning.
Aristotle divided the mind into faculties, and gave to the
whole the name Fiite Lexeia^ which Cicero, in his Tuscu-lans,
translates as perpetual motion, and we translate as
intellect. Any one of the three is full}- as good as the Soul-substance,
for different classification of the subject does not
8 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
place Psychology in the list of Exact Sciences. Neverthe-less,
mental phenomena have values, but these phenomena
are not factors, they are objects. We cannot reduce these
phenomena as in chemistry work. We cannot, as in mathe-matical
work, factor them save upon an assumption which
must be verified upon another assumption, which operation
is equivalent to saying if one assumption is true, then another
is true. The " if " cannot be removed. Amercan teachers,
says Mr. DeGarmo, have demonstrated their faith in Psy-cholog}-
as the only sure basis of sound pedagogical practice,
"but," he adds, " thus far experience seems to have revealed
to them but little intimate relation between the two."
W'hat the mass of American teachers do in reference to
teaching gives very little evidence of what they think in
reference to teaching. It is hard to kick against what peo-ple
have determined shall be true, for there is a ring behind
such demonstrations, and the ring has made such disposi-tion
of its forces as will generally hold the public until dis-gust
becomes a factor of opposition. Socrates so aroused
the hatred of the populace by his exposure of the fallacies
of the Sophists that he was adjudged worthy of death, and
the fallacies remained to be removed onl}- by the sovereign
power of time. Very few teachers will have the hardihood
to think aloud, for they have too many ignorant masters in
search of such statements as were made against the teacher
Socrates. It is indeed well that the average scamp cannot
read the defence of vSocrates as stated by Plato, since the
defence is a full and clear exposition of how men suffer
themselves to become tools in the hands of schemers.
What American teachers may do under the condition that
now surround them is hardly an exposition either of their
faith or of their intelligence. A college professor has writ-ten
and published an essay upon teaching in accordance
with the principles of Psychology, and as his first illustra-tion
of psychologic method, he takes a paper triangle, cuts
THK NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 9
off the angles, la\'s them upon a straight line, and as their
edges coincide with the straight line no more angles can be
joined upon it, therefore the three angles of a triangle eqnal
two rightangles, which are the sum of all the angles that can
be formed on one side of a straight line. Now this is a
common-place illustration, known to ever)- geometry teacher
under tjie sun, but we are not told how, when nor where the
psychologic principle comes into the exposition, besides the
writer omits the logical connection between the basis of
proof and the proof. It is useless to talk about a force
required to produce a result unless the force can be brought
to bear upon the operation by which the result is produced.
Those who pretend to show the force of Psychology in
accomplishing results have not shown it. Those who are
seeking to find this force have not found it. The ad\'ocates
of the psychologic method, the new methods and their own
methods, would do well to consider that there are no new
methods, and that their methods are devices which if good
in one case may be worthless in another. Indeed, there is
no substitute for energy and scholarship. Young men and
old, young women and old, either by the force of authority
or of their own free will, are struggling to grasp the ever-fleeing
"how.'' But the "how to teach (jreek ' belongs of
right only to him who knows Greek. It is indeed time
that American teachers begin to consider that there is some-thing
of more importance than the devices of dreamers.
THE TEACHER SEEN THROUGH CHILDRENS'
EYES.
BY H. S. A.
Willie is six years old, and began school with the spring
term. At the close of school one da^, he was playing with
lO * THE NORTH CAROLINA TKACHER.
liis little neicjhbor, Bilh-, who has the "advantage" of him
by six months. The\- were talking abont their teachers,
whom I know. To find ont which ones were in charge of
their different rooms, I asked, " who is your teacher, Willie ?
"
"Oh, she's jnst a woman!" with the air of one born to
be a "lord of creation."
"What do \'OU call her?" I continued.
"I don't call her at all," he replied.
"Well, what do the other bo\'s call her?"
"They say 'Teacher.'"
"But what is her name?" I urged.
"She didn't tell her name," he said.
As I knew it to a common failure of teachers to introduce
themselves understandingh' to their pupils, I \-aried the
question, and asked, in the vernacular, "what kind of a
looking woman is she?"
".Oh ! she's long and little round," said he, nonchalantly.
"And what kind of a looking one is Billy's?"
"Oh ! she is short and little round."
To ascertain his standard of dimensions, I inquired, "and
what would you call me, Willie? " (I am of medium height
and build). "Am I short and little round, too?"
"No, )'ou're long and big round," he said. "There's
another one comes to our room sometimes," he added, "and
she's all shriveled up?"
"x\nd is she long and big round too?" I asked.
"No, she's long and little round."
While I was thinking how difficult it must be for a teacher,
long, little round, and all shriveled up, to make a favorable
impression upon her pupils, Billy said :
"I've got a diffunt teacher'n' I had."
"Do you like her?" I asked.
" Yes, I like her," he answered hesitatingh'.
"And what does she teach you?" said I, indifferently,
still wondering what proportion of enthusiasm and other
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. II
\irtues would be necessary to neutralize the impression
made b}' such an unfavorable physique.
"She don't teach us anythino-," he said.
"What does she do, then?''
"Oh! she talks to us."
" What about?''
"Oh ! 'bout keepin' still, 'n' don't make a noise, 'n' keep
yonr feet still, 'n' stop whisperin', 'n' not want to go out,
'n' not w^ant a drink, 'n' mustn't turn roun', 'n' not—
"
"But don't you sa}- yoiir lesson?" I interrupted.
" Course we sa)- our lessons," he replied prompth-.
"What lessons?"
" Readin' 'n' spellin'."
"Don't }'ou have anv number work?"
He looked a bit puzzled. " Can you count any? " I asked.
" Huh ! I can count a hundred ! " he answered, scornfully.
I was looking over my garden seeds at the time, so I laid
down a handful of sweet peas and said, "well, count those."
He looked at them doubtfully, and began to count rap-idly,
and had got to thirty before I could catch my breath.
" Hold on ! " I said, "are }'ou counting the peas?"
" I'm couutin' a hundred," he answered.
"But I want )ou to count the peas!" I said.
" I can't count peas, but I can count a hundred," he
replied doggedh-, and holding fast to the form of sound
words.
I set aside a small number and said, "Willie, count
those."
He did so, and answered correctly, "seven!"
"Now, Billy," I said, "if I give you two, and give Wil-lie
two, how many will I have left?"
"Huh?" he answered, "you've got a hull lap full!"
"What did you read about to-day?" I asked, to change
the subject.
"Less see!" he said, slowh', "I bet I forgot! I can read
12 THK NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
it to >'OU," he suggested, wishing to recover any ground lie
might have lost b}' that admission.
''Well, run over and get your book, and read it to me!"
was my reply.
" Huh ! I don't ha\eto lia\-e a book ! " he said.
" Wh>', >'es you do! How can you read without a book?''
"Huh! I don't read that way. You just hear me!" said
he boastingly, and he continued in a straight line, "see the
cat on the mat can I pat the fat cat oh yes did the six little
pigs run yes and the big pig too can the fish—I forgot the
next word—in the dish no not the dish the dish is too—
"
"Yes! I see," said I, as he paused, and wondering myself
what it was all about. "It's parth' the stor}- of a fish.
Can you spell fish?"
"'Course I caU'," he answered proudly.
"Well, spell it."
"I guess I'll go get my book," he said a little slowly.
"You don't need a book to spell," I exclaimed.
" Yes, I do, too ! How can I tell which way the letters go
'less I see 'em? "
"Do \'ou know what letters are in fish?" I asked care-lessh-.
" I know 'em when I see 'em !
" he answered dog;o^edh-.
" Does the teacher ha\e the bo\s in your room go up to
the head?" I inquired.
" No, the)' go down to the foot !
" he said.
At so much tops\- tur\y information, it is not surprising
that the sweet pe?is suddenly rolled out of nn- lap onto the
floor. I ought to have picked them up, but I didn't w<vr
culpa! I might have had the boys help me, and made of
the task such an interesting lesson on counting peas, instead
of a hundred, but I didn't; iitca culpa! I might have
rewarded them for so doing by giving them all the}- could
count, but I didn't, and in not doing I set such a bad exam-ple
; ))ica maxima culpa!
THK NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. I3
P)nt the intellectual atmosphere seemed a little dut\-
!
'•Come boys!" I said, "get on yonr caps! Let's g-o out
and see if the bine-birds have come !
"
SHORT METHODS IN ARITHMETIC.
THE SECRET OF RAPID CALCULATORS.
One-third memory, one-third practice and one-third trick,
that is the secret of most rapid calculators who figure before
the public. Yet there is a principle involved in all rapid
calculations, which is often important for ever}- one to be
familiar with. Here are several of them
:
Curious and useful contractions.—To multiply an\- num-ber
of figures b}- 11.
Rule.—Write the sum of the figures between them.
Multiply 45 by 11. Ans. 495.
Here 4 and 5 are 9, which write between 4 and 5.
To square any number of 9s instantaneously and without
multiplying.
Rule.—Write down as man\- 9s less one as there are 9s
in the gi\-en number, an 8, as many Os as 9s, and a i.
What is the square of 9,999? Ans. 99,980,001.
Explanation.—We have four 9s in the given number,
so we wTite down three 9s, then an 8, then three Os, and a i.
To square an)' number ending in 5.
Rule.—Omit the 5 and multiply the number as it will
then stand by the next highest number, and annex 25 to
the product.
What is the square of 75? Ans. 5,625.
Explanation.—We simply say, 7 times 8 are 56, to
which we annex 25.
Rapid process of multiplying mixed numbers.—A valua-
14 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
ble and useful rule for the accountant in the practical cal-culations
in the connting-room.
Rule.—To the product of the whole number add half
their sum plus I4.
What will 3 1/2 dozen eggs cost at j'j cents per dozen?
Here the sum of 7 and 3 is 10, and half this sum 3 '_,
is 5, so we simply sa}' 7 times 3 are 21 and 5 are 26, 7 '_.
to which we add }^
26'4
N. B.—If the sum be an odd number, call it one less to
make it even, and in such cases the fraction must be 3^.
For multiplying au}- two numbers together, each of
which involves the same fraction :
To the product of the whole numbers add the product of
their sum by either fraction, after which add the product
of their fractions.
What will 113,4 pounds of rice cost at 934 cents a pound?
Here the sum of 9 and 1 1 is 20, and three-fourths 1 1
3_,^
of this Sinn is 15, so we simply sa}- 9 times 11 are 934
99, and 15 are 114, to which we add the product of
the fractions 9-16. ii4h;
How the cube root of an)- number ma}- be given instantly :
Say the cube given is 140,608, of which the root is 52.
Yon know the cubes of the units b}- heart, thus
:
The cube of i is i.
The cube of 2 is 8.
The cube of 3 is 27.
The cube of 4 is 64.
The cube of 5 is 125.
The cube of 6 is 216.
The cube of 7 is 343.
The cube of 8 is 512.
The cube of 9 is 729.
Now as the thousands in the cube exceed 125, and are
THK NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. I5
less than 216, the tens in the reply must be 5. For the
second fioiire, or units, a curious trick conies in. The cube
of I, 4, 5, 6 and 9 end in the same figure. The cube of 2
is 8 ; the cube of 3 ends in 7 ; and reversely, the cube of 8
ends in 2, and the cube of 7 in 3.
So when the questioner says 140,000 (here you say to
yourself 50) 608 you say out loud on the instant, 52.
Take another, 39,304. The thousands exceed 27, there-fore
the root is thirt)' something. The last figure is 4
;
therefore the root is 34.
—
National Educator.
THE STUDY OF CxEOGRAPHY.
It is said when the average young man undertakes his
college entrance examination there is no subject that he
feels less certain about than his geography. He has been
tutored in mathematics and the sciences, and " crammed "
in the classics, but unless he has taken a cursory review in
his old blue atlas, his knowledge in geography is either
\er)- scanty or obscured by the dust of years. In vain he
racks his brain for information. Surely he must remember
what sea is on the north of Russia, the boundaries of the
Desert of Sahara and the general course of the Ganges.
But the golden moments slip by, and the brilliant mathe-matician
or learned classical scholar finds himself van-quished
by a study that he finished at the age of fourteen.
In the word "finished" lies the explanation of it all.
Before he had mastered his own language he is learning to
bound Beluchistan, and locate Lake Maracaybo. He knows
nothing about the historical, theological, or legendary asso-ciations
that are connected with almost every inch of the
globe, and consequently he learns his boimdary, capitals,
and statistics like a parrot, and forgets them with equal
facilitv.
l6 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
Most persons of average education know astonishingly
little about geography. If one is inclined to donbt this
statement let him take a newspaper and begin to discuss
with his neighbor the topics mentioned therein. Let him
notice how many of them can locate Dahomey, the Soudan
or Mashonaland ; how many can follow intelligently a
description of explorations in the Arctic regions ; how many
can give the number of States in the Union, and name their
capitals without hesitation ; how many can tell )ou exactly
where the battle of Waterloo was fought, or where the
Ameer of Afghanistan lives. South America and parts of
Africa might as well be a howling wilderness for all that
the average person knows to the contrary. And }'et we
have all of us studied geography and "finished" it years
ago.
A child should begin the stud}' of geography as soon as
he can read, and finish it
—
never. Every class-room should
contain a series of maps suited to the subjects that are
studied and recited therein. When a pupil describes a
battle, a treaty, or the building of an empire, he should be
obliged to point out the \-ery spot where the important event
took place. Thus his history and his geography will help
each other to stand fast. The same method should be used
in every class where it can be made practicable. Teachers
are beginning to appreciate the value of associating facts in
the minds of their pupils.
It is worse than useless to cram a child's mind with infor-mation
that he will never use. Certain educators defend
this practice b)- saying that it disciplines the mind of youth,
but does it? After the cramming must come the digesting
process, and perhaps the child cannot assimilate the food
that is found on the pages of some geographies, and, in this
case, a loathing for the subject is the certain result.
The onh- practicable, feasible and sensible method is to
teach the child geograpln- ever\' da\- and \ear of his school
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 1
7
life, and in this way he will form a habit of consulting his
atlas, which will cling- to him always, and do more than
anything to keep in touch with the progress of civilization.
And the time would not be far distant when a complete set
of maps would be as necessary an adjunct to a well-equipped
private library as the latest dictionar}' or any other book of
reference.—GoldtJnvaitc's Geographical Magazine.
COUNTIES WHICH HAVE DISAPPEARED.
BY JUDGE WALTER CLARK.
Unlike States, which are sovereign and indestructible,
and which were the creators of the Union, counties are the
creatures of the Legislature and can be created, abolished,
or re-established at will. As stars have disappeared from
the quiet sky, so on our roll of counties names once shone
which have disappeared forever.
" Like the lost pleaid
Seen no more below."
In 1665 the country on both sides of Albemarle Sound
was erected into Albemarle county, and that on the west
bank of the Cape Fear into Clarendon count)-. In 1696
both sides of Pamlico river were erected into Bath county.
These three, Albemarle, Bath and Clarendon, were thus the
A. B. C. of North Carolina history. In 1671, the country
north of Albemarle Sound w^as divided into Carteret, Berk-ley
and Shaftesbury precincts. In 1683 Carteret was changed
to Currituck, Berkley became Pasquotank, and Perquimans
and Shaftesbury' were renamed Chowan. In 1722 another
precinct further south was named Carteret, which in 1729
became the present Carteret county. Bath county was
1
8
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
divided into Wickham, Painticough and Archdale pre-cincts.
In 1738, after the government was transferred
by the Lords Proprietors to the King, the precincts became
counties, the names of the last three above mentioned being
changed, and the counties of Albemarle, Bath and Claren-don
being abolished. Thus as early as 1738 three counties
had been abolished and the names of six precincts (embry-onic
counties) had been altered—a total of nine.
Since then seven count}' names have disappeared as fol-lows:
Bladen county w^as at first Pelham. In 1779 Bute,
named after the unpopular Earl of Bute, was abolished, and
its territory divided into two new counties, named after the
patriots Franklin and Warren. In the same year the county
which bore the name of the royal Governor Tryon, was
divided and the ilew counties were named in honor of Gen-erals
Lincoln and Rutherford. Each of these has since
been subdivided. Dobbs count}', named after another royal
Governor, retained its name till 1791, after the Revolution,
when it was divided into Lenoir and (jlasgow. Johnston and
Martin, though they also bore the names of royal Govern-ors,
continue to do so to this day, probably because we had
Republican Governors who were named Martin and JoJm-ston.
Glasgow, named after the Secretary of State, upon
the discovery of frauds perpetrated by him against the State,
was changed to Green in 1799. In 1784 Cumberland
county, named for the bloody victor of CuUoden, was
changed to Fayette county, but it was changed back to Cum-berland
the next Legislature. In 1846 Polk county was
created. In 1848 it was abolished. After seven years it
was again re-established, in 1855. In the case of Mills rvw
Williams, 33 N. C. Reports, the Supreme Court affirmed
the power of the Legislature to abolish any county at its
pleasure. Thus sixteen county names have disappeared
—
Carteret, Berkley, Shaftesbury, Pampticough, Wickham,
Archdale, Albemarle, Bath, Clarendon, Pelham, Bute,
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. I9
Tryon, Fa)'ette, Dobbs, Glasgow and Polk. Carteret was
afterwards bestowed on another county, and Polk, after an
eclipse, was re-established.
As to merely verbal or literal changes, Duplin, named
after Viscount Dupplin, has, in the friction of the years,
lost one of its "'p's"; Edgecombe, named after the Earl of
IMt. Edgcumb, has materially changed its orthography
;
Forsyth, which was named for Col. Benjamin Forsythe,
who fell in Canada in 181 4, and Surry, named for Surrey
county, in England, have lost both the final "e" in rolling
down the years ; and Cleveland, named for Col. Benjamin
Cleaveland, one of the heroes of King's Mountain, has by
legislative enactment lost the "a."
Among the numerous changes in the names of towns may
be noted Wilmington, formerly Newton ; Greenville, once
INIartinborough ; Fayetteville, formerly Campbellton and
Cross Creeks ; Kingston, republicanized by dropping the
"g"; Hillsboro, at first Childsboro; Company Shops, now
Burlington ; and Salisbury, established as Corbinton, in
honor of the obnoxious land agent of Lord Granville, Fran-cis
Corbin. There have been many similar changes in the
names of other towns.
Townships were first established in this State in 1868,
but alread}' changes in the names of these have been fre-quent.
Probably the most singular has been in Halifax
county, whose classical and alphabetical Chairman of the
County Commissioners dubbed the eight townships first
created, Arcadia, Bucharia, Caledonia, Dalmatia, Etruria,
Formosa, Palmyra and Rapides. As a large part of the
newly created magistrates were negroes, the effect was
incongruous. Dalmatia towmship was always styled by the
illiterate, in entire good faith, "Damnation" township.
A succeeding board of commissioners, more prosaic, has
changed these names to Littleton, Weldon, Halifax, etc.
20 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
For The Inokth Oai:oi.ina Teachek.
NORTH CAROLINA IN WAR.
HER RECORD AND HER GENERALS.
BY JUDGE WAI^TER CLARK.
The following is a list of the generals whom North Caro-lina
has furnished, and of the various wars through which
she has passed
:
BEFORE THE REVOLUTION.
Before the Revolution, North Carolina, owing to the
small number of 'troops she could furnish, had no generals
except those of the militia. She had a severe Indian war
at home in I7ii-'i3, which began with the m.assacre of
2 2d September, 1711, when 200 men, women and children
in a few hours fell beneath the scalping knife. North Caro-lina
was materially aided in the war tliat followed by troops
sent from South Carolina, her own small forces being com-manded
by Col. Mitchell and Col. McKee. In 171 5 she
sent her first expedition beyond the State, being horse and
foot soldiers under Col. Maurice Moore, to aid South Caro-lina
against the Yemassee Indians. In 1740 she sent four
companies of 100 men each, in the only expedition soldiers
from this country have ever made beyond the continent, to
Carthagena, South America. James Innes (afterwards Colo-nel
in the French war), Robert Holton and Coltrane were
three of the captains. In the same year, 1740, she sent
troops in the expedition, under Oglethrope, against St.
Augustine, Fla., then held by the Spanish. Her troops in
that expedition were combined with Virginia and South
Carolina troops into a regiment commanded by Van Der-dussen.
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 21
111 the French war, she sent in 1754, the year before
Braddock's defeat, a regiment to Winchester, Va., under
command of Col. James Innes, who took the command, out-ranking
at the time Colonel George Washington, who then
commanded the Virginia forces. In 1755 she sent 100 men
under Captain Edward Brice Dobbs (son of Governor Dobbs)
in the ill-fated Braddock expedition, but fortunately they
were in the reserve under Col. Dunbar, and did not share
in the defeat. In 1756 she sent four companies to New
York under Major Dobbs. Two years later North Carolina
sent three companies under Major Hugh W^addell in Gen-eral
Forbes' expedition which took Fort Du Quesne, the
North Carolinians being the first to enter the fort.
Her troops who fought the battle of Alamance against
the Regulators i6th of May, 1771, were detachments of
militia commanded by their Colonels under Governor Tryon,
who was in chief command. General Hugh Waddell, who
had seen service against the French and Indians, in a lower
rank, commanded some 300 militia across the Yadkin, but
did not reach the battlefield.
IN THE REVOLUTION—1 7/5- 83.
North Carolina had in the "Continental Line" :
One Major-General—Robert Howe.
Four Brigadier-Generals—(i) James Moore, died in ser-vice,
February, 1777; (2) Francis Nash, killed at German-towm,
October, 1777; (3) Jethro Sumner; (4) James Hogun,
died a prison of war at Charleston, S. C, January 4, 1781.
Besides these, who were regular or Continental officers,
the following Generals of Militia commanded troops in
action
:
General John Ashe, at Briar Creek, Ga., March, 1779.
General Richard Caswell, at Camden, S. C, August, 1780.
General Isaac Gregory, at Camden, S. C, August, 1780,
22 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
where he was wounded and the conduct of his men highly
praised by the British.
General Griffith Rutherford, at Stono, June, 1779, and at
Camden, S. C, iVugust, 1780, where he was wounded and
captured. He commanded also in the expeditions against
the Scovillite Tories and the Overhill Indians.
General William Davidson, killed at Cowan's Ford, Feb-ruary
I, 1 781. (He had been a Lieutenant-Colonel in the
Continental Line).
General John Butler, at Stono, June 20, 1779; at Cam-den,
August 16, 1780, and at Guilford C. H., March 15, 1781.
General William Eaton, Guilford C. H., March 15, 1781.
North Carolina furnished ten regiments of Regulars to
the Continental Line, one battery of artillery (Kingsbury's),
and three companies of cavalr}'. Besides this her militia
were frequently ordered out on "tours of duty." x^lone
and unaided they won the brilliant victories at Moore's
Creek, Ramsour's Mills and King's Mountain, and helped
the regulars lose the battles of Camden and Guilford C. H.
Under Rutherford's leadership, early in 1776, they so
crushed the Scovillite Tories in South Carolina, and in July
of that year, the Overhill Indians in Tennessee, that neither
gave further trouble during the entire war. In the latter
expedition 2,400 North Carolina militia were engaged.
They also shared in the battles of Stono, Briar Creek, Cow-pens
and the defence and surrender of Charleston. The
North Carolina Continentals rendered efficient service at
Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, at the capture of
Stony Point (where they had a conspicuous part), at Hob-kirk's
Hill, Eiitaw, at both sieges of Charleston and Savan-nah
and elsewhere, and formed a part of the garrison of
West Point, when our General Howe succeeded Arnold in
command there.
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 2T,
IN THE WAR OF 1812-15.
Brigadier-General Joseph Graham was sent in command
of the brigade of North Carolina and Sonth Carolina troops,
in 1814, to the aid of General Andrew Jackson in the Creek
War. General Graham had attained the rank of Major in
the Revolntionary War, and had been badly wonnded at
the capture of Charlotte, 1780. A brigade of militia, under
General Joseph F. Dickinson, was the same year marched
to Norfolk, where they remained four months and were
present when the British fleet was driven back at the battle
off Craney Island. We also sent troops to Canada where
Colonel Benjamin Forsythe was among the killed.
Johnson Blakely, of Wilmington, in commiand of the
" Wasp," rendered efficient service at sea.
IN MEXICAN WAR—1846-'47.
Colonel Robert Treat Paine, of North Carolina regiment.
Colonel Louis D. Wilson, 12th U. S. Infantry, died at
Vera Cruz, August 13, 1847.
North Carolina had no general in that war. She fur-nished
one regiment of volunteers (Paine's) and one com-pany
to the 1 2th U. S. in the regular service.
IN THE CIVIL WAR—1861-65.
Two Lieutenant-Generals—(i) T. H. Holmes, (2) D. H.
Hill.
Six Major-Generals—(i) Robert Ransom, (2) W. D. Pen-der,
died of wounds received at Gettysburg in July, 1863;
(3) R. F. Hoke, (4) S. D. Ramsour, killed at Cedar Run,
1864; (5) W. H. C. Whiting, died of wounds received at
Fort Fisher, January 21, 1865; (6) Bryan Grimes.
Twenty-five Brigadier-Generals—(i) Richard C. Gatling,
(2) L. O'B. Branch, killed at Sharpsburg, September 17,
1862; (3) J. Johnston Pettigrew, died of wounds received
24 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
at Falling Waters, July 14, 1863; (4) James G. Martin, (5)
Thomas L. Clingman, (6) Geo. E. Anderson, died of wounds
received at Sharpsburg, September 17, 1862; (7) Junius
Daniel, died of wounds received at Wilderness, May, 1864;
(8) John R. Cooke, (9) James H. Lane, (10) Robert B. Vance,
since M. C; (11) Matthew W. Ransom, since U. S. Senator;
(12) Alfred M. Scales, Governor 1885-1889; (13) Lawrence
S. Baker, (14) William W. Kirkland, (15) Robert D. John-ston,
(16) James B. Gordon, died of wounds received at Yel-low
Tavern, 14th May, 1864; (17) W. Gaston Lewis, (18)
W. R. Cox, since M. C; (19) Thos. F. Toon, (20) Rufus
Barringer, (21) A. C. Godwin, killed at Winchester 29th
September, 1864; (22) William MacRae, (23) Collett Leven-thrope,
(24) John D. Barry, (25) William P. Roberts, since
State Auditor.
General Iverson for a while commanded a North Carolina
brigade, but he was a Georgian. There were many natives
of North Carolina not in the above list because appointed
from other States, as General Baxton Bragg, Lieutenant-
General Leonidas Polk, Major-General C. M. Wilcox, Briga-dier
Generals ZoUicoffer, McCullough, Rains and many
others. On the other hand Major General Whiting, born
in Mississippi, and Brigadier General Cooke, born in Mis-souri,
are in the list because they threw in their fortunes
with North Carolina during the war and were appointed
from this State.
At sea, James I. Waddell, in command of the Shenandoah,
illustrated the courage of his race and State on ever}' sea.
In the above lists the Generals are named according to the
dates of their respective commissions.
Notwithstanding the State furnished 120,000 troops to
the Confederac}', it had at the close of the war in service
onh' one Lieutenant-General, D. H. Hill, and three Major
Generals, Robert Ransom, Robert F. Hoke and Bryan
Grimes—Pender, Whitino- and Ramseur havino- been killed
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 25
in battle. Of her twenty-five Brigadier Generals six
(Branch, Pettigrew, Anderson, Daniel, Gordon and Godwin)
were killed ; one was on the retired list, one in the State
service as Adjutant General, and four prisoners of war, leav-ing
nine in service and four at home wounded, several of
our depleted brigades being commanded by colonels and
majors and one even by a captain. At the Appomattox
surrender (April 9, 1865) the parole list shows from North
Carolina one Major General, Bryan Grimes, commanding
division, and six Brigadier Generals were paroled in com-mand
of their respective brigades—John R. Cooke, James
H. Lane, M. W. Ransom, W. G. Lewis, William R. Cox
and W. P. Roberts. Another, General Rufus Barringer,
had been captured the week before, during the retreat.
At Joseph E. Johnston's surrender, April 26, 1865, North
Carolina had one Lieutenant General, D. H. Hill ; one
Major General, Robert F. Hoke, and one Brigadier, Kirk-land
; though Leventhorpe and Baker, with their commands,
were also embraced in the terms.
To this war North Carolina sent seventy-six regiments
and fifteen battalions.
JONES' DREAM.
BY WILLIAM HAWLEY SMITH.
It was the first day of the year. Dennis Duval was plod-ding
along on horseback through the mud and the mist
when he met, at the section corners, Mr. Paul Jones, a
neighbor, mounted like himself, and the two headed their
horses into the same lane and jogged along together. Duval
gave Jones a "Happy New Year" as they met, to which
Jones replied in a low monotone, "the same to you," and
26 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
then became silent. The splash of the horses feet was the
only sound for several rods, when Dnval broke out
:
"What's the matter, Jones? I never saw you look so
tore up in my life. You're always counted the best man
in the business for joke, but you don't look much like it
to-day. V/hat's the matter? Anybody dead?"
Jones looked up, gave a grin:i smile, and replied
:
"No, there ain't anybody dead, but I dreamed there v.-as,
that's all," and 'again he was silent.
Nothing but splashing for the next eight}- rods, at the
end of which Duval again made an attempt at conversation :
"You dreamed there was? Who'd you dream was?"
"Myself," said Jones, with a wink and a sly grin from
under his slouched hat.
" That you was? " said Duval ; and then there was silence
again.
At length Jones heaved a deep sigh, straightened himself
in his saddle and spoke as follows :
"Yes, I dreamed I was dead. Didn't dream much about
the dyin' part, but the first I knew I was standin' afore a
gate and waitin' to get in. I vraited around a v>'hile, and
nobody seemed to come ; so I stepped into a kind of a little
office just to' one side o' the gate to wait. 'Twas a nice kind
of a room, not very big, and I was goin' around it lookin at
things while I was vraitin' ; and first I knew I saw a big
book like a ledger, set up on a desk or frame like. I kind
o' wondered wliat it was, and as it was right out in the
room where an}-bod\- could see it, I went up and looked at
it, and as sure as I'm a sinner, there stood nn- account. It
was headed in good style, 'Paul Jones, in account, etc.,'
Dr. on one side and Cr. on the other. It kind 'o took me
back a little to run onto it so sudden, but I'd been tliinking
about it more or less all the time I'd been waitin'. Well,
nobod}'d come yet, so I got to looking over the account.
The first statement was, 'General business account,' and I
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 2']
don't want to brag but I had a prett}- fair showing, take it
all around. I was charged up wdth some things, just as I
deserved to be, but in the main I confess I was pretty well
pleased with the way the account looked.
" Well, then came the ' Church and benevolent Society
account,' and that made a fair show, too. You see I've
always had considerable to give, and I've liked to give pretty
well, and so I've given a good deal one way and another,
and it was all down all right. There was one or two charges,
though, on the other side, that got me a little. For instance,
there was 'neglecting meetings,' and 'giving for personal
benefit,' and 'giving for the sake of public approval.' That
got me a little, but I stood that pretty well. I went on
down to the 'Widows' and Orphans' Account,' wdiich was
in pretty good shape, too, and I was beginning to feel pretty
good, wdien I struck ' School Directors' i\ccount !
' and I
tell you, Duval, my heart struck the bottom of my boots
like lead. You see I'd never thought about running an
account with that headin' anyhow. But there it was, and
I had to face it. Well, as soon as I got my breath, I took
a look at it. I daresn't tell you all there was there, but it
just makes me sick now to think about it. Why the Dr.
column run on for about six pages, and here's about the
way it went
:
" ' Item—Neglecting to keep school house in repair, on
account of which Geo. Newcomb's little g-irl caug-ht cold
and died, and several children suffered severely. [See tes-timony
of Newcomb's little girl]
.
" ' Item—Neglecting to stand b}- the teacher when some
meddlesome people in the district tried to break up the
school.
" ' Item—Hiring Mehitable Parker (you see, she was my
wife's cousin, and had been spending the summer visitin'
us) to teach the school, she being young and inexperienced,
when Hiram Samson could have been hired in her stead,
28 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
he beino' an experienced and accomplished teacher, the
change being made for the sake of saving fi\ e dollars a
month.
" ' Item—Neglecting to visit school and personally inspect
the work of teachers and pupils.
" 'Neglecting to confer with teacher and patrons about
the interests of the school, and so on. (Here it went, page
after page, all charged up).
"
' Item—Neglecting to insist on uniformity of text-books,
and so greatly crippling the school.
'"Item—Allowing private family quarrels in the district
to interfere with and weaken the school.''
" I can't give 'em all, but they made my hair stand on
end when I read 'em."
"Was there nOthin' on the other side of the account?"
put in Duval.
"Well, yes; clear on the other end there was just one
item, and that was, ' Credit by balance, for serving as school
director for nineteen years without pay, and subject to the
growls and slanders of the whole district.'"
And the old man winked slowly with both eyes, as he
looked his companion in the face. He then proceeded
:
"That let up on me a little, but even that couldn't make
me feel just right, and I was pretty well down in the mouth
about that business, when I heard the door open, and I
turned round to see who had come, and it was my little
girl, who came to tell me breakfast was ready and wish me
a 'Happ3' New Year.' Well, I got up and eat my break-fast,
but I kept thinkin' of my dream, and I just made up
my mind that I'm goin' to do what I can for the rest of my
natural life to make a better lookin' record than that, when
the time really does come that I have to face it. There's
our school-house now, with no foundation under it, half a
dozen panes of glass out, a poor stove, cracks in the floor,
the plasterin' off in three or four places, so that the wind
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 29
blows right in ; the outhouses without roofs and their sides
torn half off, and I don't know what else ; and I'm on my
wav now to call a meetin' of the board to fix things up, and
if the^• arn't better'n they are now inside of a week, why
mv name ain't Paul Jones, that's all, and if ever I hire a
teacher for an)- reason excejDt because he's the man for the
place, it'll be because I get fooled. Good morning."
And at the section corner they splashed away from each
other at right-angle, Jones to call the board together, and
Duval to tell a reporter of Jones' dream and its results.
—
The Western Teacher.
VISITORS AND VISITING.
Visit schools often.
Visit to learn rather than to criticise.
You can learn something from the poorest school )-ou
ever saw.
Don't make the day for visiting schools a holiday.
Don't try to do a season's shopping on the same da}' )-ou
take for visiting.
Take notes ; you may remember the points you observe
for a time, but if you write them, you have them to keep.
Don't talk to the teacher while she is giving a lesson, or
at any time during the session. That time isn't yours or
hers; if you wish to ask questions, make a note of them,
and ask after school, or when she is at leisure. But if she
is going home to dinner, be careful not to detain her too
long.
If you have a friend with you, don't talk or whisper to
her ; it annoys and disturbs both teacher and pupils.
Don't visit schools Friday for your own convenience ; an}-
dav of the week is better than Fridav.
30 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
Don't visit on the last few days of a term, for tl:en exami-nations
are generally in progress, and you see onls- written
work.
Don't visit the day after a holiday ; it takes one day to
recover from a holiday ; nsualh- both teachers and scholars
are tired after it.
Go to some town or city where yon are snre yon will see
some good work and up-to-date teaching.
Don't ask a teacher to change her program for you ; only
superintendents should have that provilege. If a teacher
should ask you what you would like to see or hear, then it
is perfectly right for you to express your preference, but
don't initiate the change }'ourself.
Don't sit in front of blackboard work that children are
copying, and don'^t wait for the teacher to ask you to move.
Perhaps she is too busy to notice what the trouble is, but
you know, or ought to, by the children stretching out of
their seats to see.
Don't visit too many schools in one day. Stay in one
room long enough to pay the teacher for getting you a chair,
and for causing her the interruption. Some superintend-ents
pretend to say that they can judge a school and teacher
the minute they enter a room. But there are a good many
minutes in each da}' when I should not care to have my
school judged.
Don't come back to your own school feeling discouraged ;
put into immediate use the ideas you have gained.
Don't come back to }our school feeling too self-satisfied
with it
; you have gained something that you can incorpo-rate
and make your school better. Self-satisfaction is
always a dangerous port to make.
Don't make unjust comparisons. If }'0U find renuirkable
work in a first grade, put vour common sense to work to
inquire the wa}' and wherefore of it. First ascertain the
ages of the children. If you find them to be seven, eight,
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 3I
and e\'en nine )ears old, as yon will be snre to, what right
have you to compare those children with yonr iive-year-olds?
Hight-year-old children ought to be three more years
advanced than five-year children, no matter if they are an
ornamerit to some one's first grade. I should consider them
a disgrace, and it isn't the children's fault either. It is hard
to pull the wool over the eyes of an experienced teacher by
tacking a young grade to old children.
How man}- scholars has that teacher who has such won-derful
results in her first grade? Thirty. Well, compare
that number with yonr sixty or seventy. There will proba-bly
be several more things to be equalized before compari-sons
can be made, bnt if you make them, get the same con-ditions
together to compare.
When you have visitors be as unconscious of them as
possible.
Trv to show your school fairh', giving all the children a
chance. Don't call on the bright ones over and over again.
Not long ago a principal took me into a room where he told
me I should hear some fine reading. He left me for half
an hour, and the lesson began. A dear little girl was called
upon and was allowed to read a whole page. When she
had finished the first paragraph, I knew she w^as a most
excellent reader, but the teacher evidently wanted me to be
sure of it, for she called upon that same child to read five
times during the half hour, and upon only seven others in
the class of fifty. I did not think that a fair average.
Try to show the work of the children in actiial process,
rather t.han work they have done at some other time. See-ing
is believing. A five-year-old boy told the whole story
of much exhibition work when he went home the other
day, and said, " INIamma, when we make something very
nice. Miss P takes it and fixes it just right and puts it
in the cabinet." So many things are fixed j'ltst right hy—
the teachers, not the scholors. Lizzie MorSE,
/;/ Journal of Education.
32 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
IN THE SCHOOL=ROOM.
THP: CHILD'S NEED OF SYMPATHY.
The child needs sympathy, companionship, love.
Here, also, the instinct of the higher quadrupeds show in
a touching way the same demand. The dog's desire, more
pressing than the desire for food, and often displacing it, is
to be with his master. If his master is within doors, the
dog washes to lie at his feet; if he goes to another room,
the dog must also go, and establish himself there ; if he goes
forth to walk or fide, the four-footed friend bounds along in
bliss, overjoyed to traverse miles of country which he would
never visit alone. An occasional tender word contents him,
but without companionship he can do nothing. Strange
that we recognize this instinct in the animal, and often
ignore it in the child.
Every child needs companionship ; to have some one to
whom every joy ma\' be imparted. Some of the most con-scientious
and devoted parents who have lived have been
those who have never kissed their children, and the same
habit of repression still shows itself in some households in
regard to all communications with the young.
A woman of genius, not now living, once told me she did
not know how to tell time until she was eighteen, because
her father had undertaken to explain it to her when she was
twelve, and she was afraid to let him know that she had
failed to comprehend him. Yet she said that he had never
in his life spoken to her one harsh word. It was simply
the attitude of cold repression that froze her. " His heart
was pure—and terrible. I think there was not another like
it on earth.'"
—
Exc/iaiip-c.
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. , 2)3
Oliver Wendell Homes said: " The human race is divided
into two classes—those who go ahead and do something,
and those who sit and inquire, 'why wasn't it done the
other way?'
"
And when the world shall link your names
With gracious lives and manners fine,
The teacher shall assert her claims.
And proudl}- whisper, "These are mine."
—]\']iitticr.
SPEAKING.
Speaking should be used among the ^•ery first steps in
education. Children should be encouraged to tell the argu-ments
of the stories they read. They should also be encour-aged
to discuss things they have seen and heard. There is
clanger of having them talk too much, however. Caution
is necessary ; they must be taught to penetrate to tlie essen-tials,
and to use few words.
There are many exercises adapted to class use. Students
may be timed, and given three or five minutes to tell some
folk-lore story, or the}' may be led to give an argument of
some poem or drama that they may be reading. This exer-cise
can be adapted to the youngest and to the most advanced
student. A beginning may be made with one of the tales
of the "Wayside Inn" or " Evangeline," or a subject may
be assigned as difficult as the argument of a Greek pla}-.
Another very impertant exercise is discussion. A student
should be allowed to select a topic in which he is interested.
This may be the simplest event about the school or college,
or it may be some great national or international issue.
The students should be timed to speak from three to five
34 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
minutes ; the timing is very important, as they must be
trained to penetrate to fundamentals and to give these in
few words. Good speaking must be more concise than
essay-writing or story-telling.
—
From ^'School of Expres-sion^''''
Boston.
EXPRESSIONS TO BE AVOIDED.
Guess, for suppose or think.
Fix, for arrange or prepare.
Ride and drive, interchangeable. (Americanism).
Real, as an adverb, in expressions real good for reallv or
very good, etc.
Some or any,' in an adverbial sense, e. g.: "I have studied
some," for somewhat; "I have not studied an}','' for at all.
Some ten days, for about ten da}-s.
Not as I know, for that I know.
Storms, for it rains or snows, moderately.
Try an experiment, for make an experiment.
Singular subject with contracted plural verb e. g.: ''She
don't skate well."
Plural pronoun with singular antecedent : Every man
or woman do ''their" duty; or, if you look anyone straight
in the face "they" wall flinch.
Expect, for suspect.
First rate, as an adverb.
Nice, indiscriminately.
Had rather, for would rather.
Had better, for would better.
Right away, for immediately.
Party, for person.
Promise, for assure.
Posted, for informed.
Post graduate, for graduate.
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. ' 35
Depot, for station.
Tr)' and go, for try to go.
Try and do, for try to do.
Cunning, for smart, dainty.
Cute, for acnte.
Funny, for odd or nnusnal.
Above, foregoing, more than or beyond.
Does it look good enough, for well enough.
The matter of, for the matter with.
Ivike I do, for as I do.
Not as good as, for not so good as.
Feel badly, for feel bad.
Feel good, for feel well.
Between seven, for among seven.
Seldom or ever, for seldom if ever, or seldom or never.
Taste or smell of, when used transitively.
More than yon think for, for more than you think.
These kind, for this kind.
Nicely, in response to an inquiry.
Health)-, for wholesome.
Just as soon, for just as lief.
Kind of, to indicate a moderate degree.
WHOM THE GODS LOVE DIE YOUNG."
THE REASON GIVEN BY A GIRL FOR REFUSING AN OFFER
OF MARRIAGE.
"Ah, Miss Young," simpered the old professor to the
prett}' scholar, "yon are a favorite of the gods, I think. '
"Yes?" she responded with a questioning blush.
"Yes, my dear," he said, coming a little closer; "and
with mortals, too," he stammered.
36 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
"Yes?" she replied again, oh, so innoceiith'.
"And—and with one especially," he said insinuating-ly.
"Yes?"
"x\nd—and—Miss Young, will you marry nie?'' he
exclaimed, catching at her hand.
She let him take it and with an arch look she said con-clusively
:
"No, Professor, no, whom the gods love die Young.
The lesson in philosophy went on as before.
—
Detroit
Free Press.
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 2il
EDITORIAL.
Have you paid your subscription to The Teacher
for the year? If not, isn't this a good time for doing so?
The schools are all full of children, and some are even
''running over." Isn't this a sign of returning good times
for North Carolina? We think so.
This number begins the thirteenth volume of The
Teacher, and we intend to try to make it bright and
sparkling with educational news, and useful to every
teacher. We want to hear from you in a contribution upon
some educational question.
We want teachers to wTite to us. Tell us what you
have been doing during the summer vacation, and where
you are now^ at work. Tell us all the school news in your
county, and let us know- what teachers have married, or
died, or changed their work or residence.
Our public schools are now in the hands of the new Count}'
Examiners who take the place of the former Superintend-ents.
The duties of the new office are much the same as
before, and we are glad to note that the schools are continu-ing
to prosper and our new County Examiners are doing
their work well.
The Teacher will publish the views of any responsible
person upon any educational subject, but it is not to be sup-posed
that the editor endorses all the opinions of contribu-tors
simph' because he publishes them. The mission of
The Teacher is to give every side of every educational
question a fair hearing, and this we shall try to do.
38 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
Every teacher who can do so should spend at least three
days at the Atlanta Exposition. The exhibit is the best
ever seen in the South, and a visit to it is worth to a teacher
several years of reading and study. On certain days of each
week the railroad ticket is onh* one fare for round trip, and
good board and lodging in Atlanta may be had for $1.50 a
da}'. A week's trip ought to be made for $20, to include
all necessary expenses.
Do YOU think that a really live and progressive teacher
in this State can afford to do without The North Caro-lina
Teacher? Of course you want to "keep in touch"
with the brotherhood, and the only way to enjoy this privi-lege
is to have your name on the subscription book of your
State journal of education. No person can do good work
without good tools, and the educational journal is one of
the teacher's most valuable tools.
It matters not whether )-our salary is fifteen or forty
dollars a month, if you have accepted a school for this sea-son
it is your dut)^ to do the ver)- best work of which yon
are capable. You may be employed by a "cheap school
committee," but you are working for priceless boys and
girls. With the committee your work may end in a few
months, or until they can find a cheaper teacher, but with
your pupils your work, whether good or bad, is to be a
thing of a lifetime. Then, teacher, whoever you may be,
if you feel that you are not being paid enough for your
work, do not "even up" by neglecting 3'our pupils, but
resign your place at once, for you cannot afford to sacrifice
your self-respect and integrit}' by holding the position
unfaithfulh' even for another da^.

CHILDREN'S (;A!vIE—Playing Noah's Ark.
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
\'oL. XIII. Raleigh, September, 1895. No. i.
EUGENE C. HARRELL, --_--.. Editor.
SCHOOL DAYS.
BY REED SAVAGE, KANSAS, ILL-As
we in the school-room gather,
Each one from his home so dear,
May we feel the strain of dut}'
In the work we're doing here.
Work to ns is ever pleasant,
While our minds in knowledge grow;
Well we know that in the future,
We our knowledge gained must show.
Then each morning as we gather,
We will ever keep in view,
That our future lives are moulded
By the acts w^e daily do.
May we then with constant effort
Strive to others to be kind,
Leaving selfish thought and actions
From the ever-peaceful mind.
Well we know the time is coming
When our school life will be o'er,
And no more we'll meet together,
As we oft have done before.
Let's in honor grow with knowledge,
That in evil we'll ne'er fall,
And in manhood's field of action
There will be a place for all.
2 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER,
ON SPELLING.
ThQ JVews of March 23d, in "Editorial Notes," quotes
from a letter to the Louisville Courier Journal. The writer
cites flagrant cases of bad spelling, and sa}-s : " We are neg-lecting
spelling, and doing pupils a great wrong. I believe
that there should be spelling every day through the school
course, up to the day of graduation."
This is the correct view ; spelling should be an every-day
exercise. It should be incidental with all pupils, and stated
with all except those who are doing their first school work.
It is at this stage of the work that the foundation of spell-ing,
good or bad, is laid and nnich of the latter can be traced
to the word method of teaching reading, or rather to the
faulty method of using it, spelling being entirely neglected.
The pupil should be taught to spell from the printed or
written form, and also without the form in view, ever}- word
he has learned as a whole. If this course be pursued he
learns to recognize the letters and their power in words, and,
by the time his vocabulary numbers a hundred or more
words, he will have acquired the ability to master new
words of equal difficulty, unaided, and he will not be obliged
to turn appealingly to his teacher whenever he meets a new
word. More than this, he will have learned the first lesson
in the road to success—self dependence.
Learning to spell is almost wholly an exercise of memory,
and it cannot be begun too early in the work of school.
The pupil who has the ability to read lessons, such as are
found in ordinary first readers, and has not learned to spell
correctly, from memory, most of the words found in those
lessons, bids fair to add another to the list of bad spellers.
W. H. Payne says : ''Many teachers of the word method
have overlooked the necessity of causing the child to learn
the names of the letters, to recognize them at sight, just as
THK NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 3
the\' ha\'e learned to recognize words, and to name those
letters in their established order." A grave blunder ! Give
the child the ability to nse the same means that ever}- advo-cate
of the word method, as well as of every other method,
nses whenever confronted with those nnpronounceable
names that are daily met with in onr magazines and cosmo-politan
newspapers—the ability to spell and syllabify.
Until yon have done this yon have failed to eqnip him
properly.
It may raise a smile to the lips of those who see no good
in any except so-called new methods, to say that pnpils
should be taiight " to name those letters in their established
order." Nevertheless, the fact remains, that pnpils who
have not acquired this knowledge are not prepared to use
intelligently or successfully either a dictionary or an ency-clopaedia.
While I would not discard the word method,
still less would I neglect to teach the letters and spelling.
—
Educational Neivs.
For The Xokth Carolina Teachek.
PSYCHOLOGIC CLOUDS.
BY E. R. DICKSON, COAL CREEK, TENN.
If, as some people think, education means scholarship,
then there is very little of value in those formulas which
the progressionists have chosen to call methods of training
which the}' wish to substitute for the wear}- plodding
required by that system of education which recognizes criti-cal
knowledge of a subject as the best evidence of the high-est
training to be obtained either in the college or in the
school. Of the many short roads advertised to take one
past "the wearisome bitterness of his learning," and to put
his mind in such condition that it grasps the difficulties of
learnins: and of teaching with the ease and o;race of an ath-
L,_
4 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
lete when posing before the camera, Pedagogic Psychology
is now considered by far the most important. For it is
confidently asserted that one who is posted in psychologic
dicta can take hold of the stndent's mind and make it per-form.
We are not informed as to the how of this operation,
but the professionals who hold forth at institutes and asso-ciations
say "the thing can be done;" that Psychology is
the key to teaching and to learning. Aristophanes, in the
Clouds, has not made Socrates and Strepsiades sa}- more
absurd things than many of the exponents of reform are
saying in reference to education. When Strepsiades asks
in wonder, if thought waters the cresses, and Socrates, in his
basket swinging above the stage, is made to sa\- that being
above the earth he thinks of things beneath the sun, they
are not at all mpre silly than the pedagogic Psychologists
who direct teachers and professors to apply the principles
of Psychology to the minds of their pupils, and thus become
successful teachers. A leader not only in psychologic inves-tigations,
but also in the mythical new education, said to
his hearers, "teach your pupils to think, and that is better
than words and memor}." Was ever a sentence uttered
which contained more absurd inconsistencies than this?
Who ever taught a pupil to think ? but suppose that one
can teach thinking as he teaches reading and the multipli-cation
table, then how is thinking better than words and
memory, since without words and memory thinking is not
possible? Without memory the lecturer could never have
made that silh- statement. Yet it is wonderful with what
eagerness not only the public but. the teachers grasp such
statements and hold them as treasures of thought too good
for any place except where the multitude listens. When
the talker of the Cook County Normal drew from the dust
of ages the statement, " we learn to do h\ doing," every
man and every woman that had interest in the affairs of
education listened to that statement at the institute and in
THE NOirriT CAROIJNA TEACHER. 5
the lecture hall, and read it in educational literature until
it became stereotyped upon memory. And furthermore
many thought it a wonderful truth just brought to light,
and that it would push forward education. Possibly it did
help the cause, for if one should say " w^e dance when we
dance," though none might be expected to go into ecstacies
over it, }'et no one could estimate the influence which such
a statement might have upon the w'orld, provided it were
uttered b)- a specialist in educational reform. But Psy-chology
is now the thing that modern thought demands as
the booming factor in the process of mental training on the
basis of what is termed modern thought. "Teach," says a
great authorit}-, "so that your instruction be in conformit}-
with mental operations." Since one could not present a
subject contrary to mental operations, the advice seems to
be useless. "Study Psychology in order that you may
understand the mental aptitude of him whose mind you are
to direct." " Pedagogic Psychology," says a Forum writer,
"is a boon to progressive education." Another says: "We
want in all progressive instruction young blood and Psy-chology."
What an array of w^ants? How easily some people sa)-
strange things. When Monsieur Jourdin discovered that he
had been speaking prose all his life he was astounded at his
progress in learning.
But Youngblood has the call, because he is young blood
and only needs Psychology, and a German pedagogue by
name Sinduer has written a treatise on Psychology-, upon
which he has bestowed the prenomen Empirical in compli-ment,
probably, to the schoolmen that are experimenting
upon the credulity of the public. If Youngblood should
buy the book, he would at least be the possessor of the book
which contains a statement of the latest craze of pedagogic
Empiricism. As for his studying it to the mastery of the
same, the chances that he will accomplish the feat are about
6 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER
equal to the loth term of a decreasing series. But he can
try Lindner's psychologic projectile upon his own psyche
and note the effect. He will then be all the better pre-pared
to take hold of another's psyclie and put it to rights.
For example he might try this: "If one wishes to subject
the arrest of concepts to mathematical calculation in order
to calculate the share of the partial concepts in arrest, one
must know- first the sum of the arrest and secon,d the rela-tion
of the arrest. Then in order to calculate the share in
arrest of A and B, one needs onl)- to apply the rule of
"Fellowship." Of perception Mr. Lindner makes the fol-lowing
lucid statement: "The perception is nothing more
than a sensation isolated from all others, and outw^ardly
projected." The youngblood experimenter can take a sen-sation,
isolate it (a thing just as simple in performance as
to calculate the force of thought), then project it outwardly,
but not inwardl)-, since in that case the projectile might
disturb the psycho physic balance of the hydrostatic condi-tion
of the inner consciousness and establish a hydraulic
condition of the same. The experimenter should be care-ful
not to project the sensation to too gTcat a distance, for
the concept thus formed from a sensation should be kept in
a psycic flask for future "reference." A psycic laboratory
would be something unique, and the hustler who first estab-lishes
one will rush to the front and gather in the sheckles.
For the public are just in that state of mind which makes
people credulous of the impossible and eager for the sensa-tional,
and like the primaeval Athenians, the public are
readv to sacrifice to t.he o-od of veracity an^ new comer who
has not something wonderful to tell. Prof. Lindner proves
(to his own satisfaction) that there is a pS}'cho physic curve,
and treats increase of stimulus and sensation in accordance
with parts of a connic section, then gravely states that sen-sation
increases at the rate of i, 2, 3, while stimulus increases
at the rate of i, 2, 4. To make a success of the prepara-
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 7
tion, sensation should be started first, so that being isolated
and projected ontwardh- it may become a concept before
stiniulns overtakes it, and thus the experimenter can save
the useless expenditure of Lindner's " Soul Substance."
We learn from Lindner that "the soul is a simple sub-stance."
Mr. Lindner certainly belongs to the School of
Cloud Philosophers, for though he insists that his defini-tions
are clear and stripped of all pomposity of language,
he nevertheless gives us the following : " An idea is an inner
unextended time condition, and the totality of our ideas is
consciousness, and the synthesis of consciousness is self-consciousness."
The teacher, to get in contact with the
soul substance of his pupils, must know their inner unex-tended
time conditions before he can teach them to project
their sensations outwardly and view the precept ; but, says
Lindner, " Sensation is a constant magnitude—Zero." The
simpletons who delight in mysticism and vagaries, can now
revel at the feast of Clouds. Dean Swift tells of an associa-tion
for the extraction of sunbeams from cucumbers. We
may yet have one for the bottling of " inner time condi-tions."
If a pharmacist should label his bottles and then
hermetically seal them in order that they might not be used,
he would fairly represent the use to be made of Psychology
in teaching. These are mental phenomena, and we may
classify and label them according to our own idiosyncracies.
But who can produce ' these phenomena? Nevertheless,
these mind controllers propose to handle the intellect just
as butchers hang their meat upon hooks for their customers
to view. The educational force of mental phenomena is
simply historical, beyond this we are at the beginning.
Aristotle divided the mind into faculties, and gave to the
whole the name Fiite Lexeia^ which Cicero, in his Tuscu-lans,
translates as perpetual motion, and we translate as
intellect. Any one of the three is full}- as good as the Soul-substance,
for different classification of the subject does not
8 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
place Psychology in the list of Exact Sciences. Neverthe-less,
mental phenomena have values, but these phenomena
are not factors, they are objects. We cannot reduce these
phenomena as in chemistry work. We cannot, as in mathe-matical
work, factor them save upon an assumption which
must be verified upon another assumption, which operation
is equivalent to saying if one assumption is true, then another
is true. The " if " cannot be removed. Amercan teachers,
says Mr. DeGarmo, have demonstrated their faith in Psy-cholog}-
as the only sure basis of sound pedagogical practice,
"but," he adds, " thus far experience seems to have revealed
to them but little intimate relation between the two."
W'hat the mass of American teachers do in reference to
teaching gives very little evidence of what they think in
reference to teaching. It is hard to kick against what peo-ple
have determined shall be true, for there is a ring behind
such demonstrations, and the ring has made such disposi-tion
of its forces as will generally hold the public until dis-gust
becomes a factor of opposition. Socrates so aroused
the hatred of the populace by his exposure of the fallacies
of the Sophists that he was adjudged worthy of death, and
the fallacies remained to be removed onl}- by the sovereign
power of time. Very few teachers will have the hardihood
to think aloud, for they have too many ignorant masters in
search of such statements as were made against the teacher
Socrates. It is indeed well that the average scamp cannot
read the defence of vSocrates as stated by Plato, since the
defence is a full and clear exposition of how men suffer
themselves to become tools in the hands of schemers.
What American teachers may do under the condition that
now surround them is hardly an exposition either of their
faith or of their intelligence. A college professor has writ-ten
and published an essay upon teaching in accordance
with the principles of Psychology, and as his first illustra-tion
of psychologic method, he takes a paper triangle, cuts
THK NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 9
off the angles, la\'s them upon a straight line, and as their
edges coincide with the straight line no more angles can be
joined upon it, therefore the three angles of a triangle eqnal
two rightangles, which are the sum of all the angles that can
be formed on one side of a straight line. Now this is a
common-place illustration, known to ever)- geometry teacher
under tjie sun, but we are not told how, when nor where the
psychologic principle comes into the exposition, besides the
writer omits the logical connection between the basis of
proof and the proof. It is useless to talk about a force
required to produce a result unless the force can be brought
to bear upon the operation by which the result is produced.
Those who pretend to show the force of Psychology in
accomplishing results have not shown it. Those who are
seeking to find this force have not found it. The ad\'ocates
of the psychologic method, the new methods and their own
methods, would do well to consider that there are no new
methods, and that their methods are devices which if good
in one case may be worthless in another. Indeed, there is
no substitute for energy and scholarship. Young men and
old, young women and old, either by the force of authority
or of their own free will, are struggling to grasp the ever-fleeing
"how.'' But the "how to teach (jreek ' belongs of
right only to him who knows Greek. It is indeed time
that American teachers begin to consider that there is some-thing
of more importance than the devices of dreamers.
THE TEACHER SEEN THROUGH CHILDRENS'
EYES.
BY H. S. A.
Willie is six years old, and began school with the spring
term. At the close of school one da^, he was playing with
lO * THE NORTH CAROLINA TKACHER.
liis little neicjhbor, Bilh-, who has the "advantage" of him
by six months. The\- were talking abont their teachers,
whom I know. To find ont which ones were in charge of
their different rooms, I asked, " who is your teacher, Willie ?
"
"Oh, she's jnst a woman!" with the air of one born to
be a "lord of creation."
"What do \'OU call her?" I continued.
"I don't call her at all," he replied.
"Well, what do the other bo\'s call her?"
"They say 'Teacher.'"
"But what is her name?" I urged.
"She didn't tell her name," he said.
As I knew it to a common failure of teachers to introduce
themselves understandingh' to their pupils, I \-aried the
question, and asked, in the vernacular, "what kind of a
looking woman is she?"
".Oh ! she's long and little round," said he, nonchalantly.
"And what kind of a looking one is Billy's?"
"Oh ! she is short and little round."
To ascertain his standard of dimensions, I inquired, "and
what would you call me, Willie? " (I am of medium height
and build). "Am I short and little round, too?"
"No, )'ou're long and big round," he said. "There's
another one comes to our room sometimes," he added, "and
she's all shriveled up?"
"x\nd is she long and big round too?" I asked.
"No, she's long and little round."
While I was thinking how difficult it must be for a teacher,
long, little round, and all shriveled up, to make a favorable
impression upon her pupils, Billy said :
"I've got a diffunt teacher'n' I had."
"Do you like her?" I asked.
" Yes, I like her," he answered hesitatingh'.
"And what does she teach you?" said I, indifferently,
still wondering what proportion of enthusiasm and other
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. II
\irtues would be necessary to neutralize the impression
made b}' such an unfavorable physique.
"She don't teach us anythino-," he said.
"What does she do, then?''
"Oh! she talks to us."
" What about?''
"Oh ! 'bout keepin' still, 'n' don't make a noise, 'n' keep
yonr feet still, 'n' stop whisperin', 'n' not want to go out,
'n' not w^ant a drink, 'n' mustn't turn roun', 'n' not—
"
"But don't you sa}- yoiir lesson?" I interrupted.
" Course we sa)- our lessons," he replied prompth-.
"What lessons?"
" Readin' 'n' spellin'."
"Don't }'ou have anv number work?"
He looked a bit puzzled. " Can you count any? " I asked.
" Huh ! I can count a hundred ! " he answered, scornfully.
I was looking over my garden seeds at the time, so I laid
down a handful of sweet peas and said, "well, count those."
He looked at them doubtfully, and began to count rap-idly,
and had got to thirty before I could catch my breath.
" Hold on ! " I said, "are }'ou counting the peas?"
" I'm couutin' a hundred," he answered.
"But I want )ou to count the peas!" I said.
" I can't count peas, but I can count a hundred," he
replied doggedh-, and holding fast to the form of sound
words.
I set aside a small number and said, "Willie, count
those."
He did so, and answered correctly, "seven!"
"Now, Billy," I said, "if I give you two, and give Wil-lie
two, how many will I have left?"
"Huh?" he answered, "you've got a hull lap full!"
"What did you read about to-day?" I asked, to change
the subject.
"Less see!" he said, slowh', "I bet I forgot! I can read
12 THK NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
it to >'OU," he suggested, wishing to recover any ground lie
might have lost b}' that admission.
''Well, run over and get your book, and read it to me!"
was my reply.
" Huh ! I don't ha\eto lia\-e a book ! " he said.
" Wh>', >'es you do! How can you read without a book?''
"Huh! I don't read that way. You just hear me!" said
he boastingly, and he continued in a straight line, "see the
cat on the mat can I pat the fat cat oh yes did the six little
pigs run yes and the big pig too can the fish—I forgot the
next word—in the dish no not the dish the dish is too—
"
"Yes! I see," said I, as he paused, and wondering myself
what it was all about. "It's parth' the stor}- of a fish.
Can you spell fish?"
"'Course I caU'," he answered proudly.
"Well, spell it."
"I guess I'll go get my book," he said a little slowly.
"You don't need a book to spell," I exclaimed.
" Yes, I do, too ! How can I tell which way the letters go
'less I see 'em? "
"Do \'ou know what letters are in fish?" I asked care-lessh-.
" I know 'em when I see 'em !
" he answered dog;o^edh-.
" Does the teacher ha\e the bo\s in your room go up to
the head?" I inquired.
" No, the)' go down to the foot !
" he said.
At so much tops\- tur\y information, it is not surprising
that the sweet pe?is suddenly rolled out of nn- lap onto the
floor. I ought to have picked them up, but I didn't w'hile, and
nobody seemed to come ; so I stepped into a kind of a little
office just to' one side o' the gate to wait. 'Twas a nice kind
of a room, not very big, and I was goin' around it lookin at
things while I was vraitin' ; and first I knew I saw a big
book like a ledger, set up on a desk or frame like. I kind
o' wondered wliat it was, and as it was right out in the
room where an}-bod\- could see it, I went up and looked at
it, and as sure as I'm a sinner, there stood nn- account. It
was headed in good style, 'Paul Jones, in account, etc.,'
Dr. on one side and Cr. on the other. It kind 'o took me
back a little to run onto it so sudden, but I'd been tliinking
about it more or less all the time I'd been waitin'. Well,
nobod}'d come yet, so I got to looking over the account.
The first statement was, 'General business account,' and I
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 2']
don't want to brag but I had a prett}- fair showing, take it
all around. I was charged up wdth some things, just as I
deserved to be, but in the main I confess I was pretty well
pleased with the way the account looked.
" Well, then came the ' Church and benevolent Society
account,' and that made a fair show, too. You see I've
always had considerable to give, and I've liked to give pretty
well, and so I've given a good deal one way and another,
and it was all down all right. There was one or two charges,
though, on the other side, that got me a little. For instance,
there was 'neglecting meetings,' and 'giving for personal
benefit,' and 'giving for the sake of public approval.' That
got me a little, but I stood that pretty well. I went on
down to the 'Widows' and Orphans' Account,' wdiich was
in pretty good shape, too, and I was beginning to feel pretty
good, wdien I struck ' School Directors' i\ccount !
' and I
tell you, Duval, my heart struck the bottom of my boots
like lead. You see I'd never thought about running an
account with that headin' anyhow. But there it was, and
I had to face it. Well, as soon as I got my breath, I took
a look at it. I daresn't tell you all there was there, but it
just makes me sick now to think about it. Why the Dr.
column run on for about six pages, and here's about the
way it went
:
" ' Item—Neglecting to keep school house in repair, on
account of which Geo. Newcomb's little g-irl caug-ht cold
and died, and several children suffered severely. [See tes-timony
of Newcomb's little girl]
.
" ' Item—Neglecting to stand b}- the teacher when some
meddlesome people in the district tried to break up the
school.
" ' Item—Hiring Mehitable Parker (you see, she was my
wife's cousin, and had been spending the summer visitin'
us) to teach the school, she being young and inexperienced,
when Hiram Samson could have been hired in her stead,
28 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
he beino' an experienced and accomplished teacher, the
change being made for the sake of saving fi\ e dollars a
month.
" ' Item—Neglecting to visit school and personally inspect
the work of teachers and pupils.
" 'Neglecting to confer with teacher and patrons about
the interests of the school, and so on. (Here it went, page
after page, all charged up).
"
' Item—Neglecting to insist on uniformity of text-books,
and so greatly crippling the school.
'"Item—Allowing private family quarrels in the district
to interfere with and weaken the school.''
" I can't give 'em all, but they made my hair stand on
end when I read 'em."
"Was there nOthin' on the other side of the account?"
put in Duval.
"Well, yes; clear on the other end there was just one
item, and that was, ' Credit by balance, for serving as school
director for nineteen years without pay, and subject to the
growls and slanders of the whole district.'"
And the old man winked slowly with both eyes, as he
looked his companion in the face. He then proceeded
:
"That let up on me a little, but even that couldn't make
me feel just right, and I was pretty well down in the mouth
about that business, when I heard the door open, and I
turned round to see who had come, and it was my little
girl, who came to tell me breakfast was ready and wish me
a 'Happ3' New Year.' Well, I got up and eat my break-fast,
but I kept thinkin' of my dream, and I just made up
my mind that I'm goin' to do what I can for the rest of my
natural life to make a better lookin' record than that, when
the time really does come that I have to face it. There's
our school-house now, with no foundation under it, half a
dozen panes of glass out, a poor stove, cracks in the floor,
the plasterin' off in three or four places, so that the wind
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 29
blows right in ; the outhouses without roofs and their sides
torn half off, and I don't know what else ; and I'm on my
wav now to call a meetin' of the board to fix things up, and
if the^• arn't better'n they are now inside of a week, why
mv name ain't Paul Jones, that's all, and if ever I hire a
teacher for an)- reason excejDt because he's the man for the
place, it'll be because I get fooled. Good morning."
And at the section corner they splashed away from each
other at right-angle, Jones to call the board together, and
Duval to tell a reporter of Jones' dream and its results.
—
The Western Teacher.
VISITORS AND VISITING.
Visit schools often.
Visit to learn rather than to criticise.
You can learn something from the poorest school )-ou
ever saw.
Don't make the day for visiting schools a holiday.
Don't try to do a season's shopping on the same da}' )-ou
take for visiting.
Take notes ; you may remember the points you observe
for a time, but if you write them, you have them to keep.
Don't talk to the teacher while she is giving a lesson, or
at any time during the session. That time isn't yours or
hers; if you wish to ask questions, make a note of them,
and ask after school, or when she is at leisure. But if she
is going home to dinner, be careful not to detain her too
long.
If you have a friend with you, don't talk or whisper to
her ; it annoys and disturbs both teacher and pupils.
Don't visit schools Friday for your own convenience ; an}-
dav of the week is better than Fridav.
30 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
Don't visit on the last few days of a term, for tl:en exami-nations
are generally in progress, and you see onls- written
work.
Don't visit the day after a holiday ; it takes one day to
recover from a holiday ; nsualh- both teachers and scholars
are tired after it.
Go to some town or city where yon are snre yon will see
some good work and up-to-date teaching.
Don't ask a teacher to change her program for you ; only
superintendents should have that provilege. If a teacher
should ask you what you would like to see or hear, then it
is perfectly right for you to express your preference, but
don't initiate the change }'ourself.
Don't sit in front of blackboard work that children are
copying, and don'^t wait for the teacher to ask you to move.
Perhaps she is too busy to notice what the trouble is, but
you know, or ought to, by the children stretching out of
their seats to see.
Don't visit too many schools in one day. Stay in one
room long enough to pay the teacher for getting you a chair,
and for causing her the interruption. Some superintend-ents
pretend to say that they can judge a school and teacher
the minute they enter a room. But there are a good many
minutes in each da}' when I should not care to have my
school judged.
Don't come back to your own school feeling discouraged ;
put into immediate use the ideas you have gained.
Don't come back to }our school feeling too self-satisfied
with it
; you have gained something that you can incorpo-rate
and make your school better. Self-satisfaction is
always a dangerous port to make.
Don't make unjust comparisons. If }'0U find renuirkable
work in a first grade, put vour common sense to work to
inquire the wa}' and wherefore of it. First ascertain the
ages of the children. If you find them to be seven, eight,
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 3I
and e\'en nine )ears old, as yon will be snre to, what right
have you to compare those children with yonr iive-year-olds?
Hight-year-old children ought to be three more years
advanced than five-year children, no matter if they are an
ornamerit to some one's first grade. I should consider them
a disgrace, and it isn't the children's fault either. It is hard
to pull the wool over the eyes of an experienced teacher by
tacking a young grade to old children.
How man}- scholars has that teacher who has such won-derful
results in her first grade? Thirty. Well, compare
that number with yonr sixty or seventy. There will proba-bly
be several more things to be equalized before compari-sons
can be made, bnt if you make them, get the same con-ditions
together to compare.
When you have visitors be as unconscious of them as
possible.
Trv to show your school fairh', giving all the children a
chance. Don't call on the bright ones over and over again.
Not long ago a principal took me into a room where he told
me I should hear some fine reading. He left me for half
an hour, and the lesson began. A dear little girl was called
upon and was allowed to read a whole page. When she
had finished the first paragraph, I knew she w^as a most
excellent reader, but the teacher evidently wanted me to be
sure of it, for she called upon that same child to read five
times during the half hour, and upon only seven others in
the class of fifty. I did not think that a fair average.
Try to show the work of the children in actiial process,
rather t.han work they have done at some other time. See-ing
is believing. A five-year-old boy told the whole story
of much exhibition work when he went home the other
day, and said, " INIamma, when we make something very
nice. Miss P takes it and fixes it just right and puts it
in the cabinet." So many things are fixed j'ltst right hy—
the teachers, not the scholors. Lizzie MorSE,
/;/ Journal of Education.
32 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
IN THE SCHOOL=ROOM.
THP: CHILD'S NEED OF SYMPATHY.
The child needs sympathy, companionship, love.
Here, also, the instinct of the higher quadrupeds show in
a touching way the same demand. The dog's desire, more
pressing than the desire for food, and often displacing it, is
to be with his master. If his master is within doors, the
dog washes to lie at his feet; if he goes to another room,
the dog must also go, and establish himself there ; if he goes
forth to walk or fide, the four-footed friend bounds along in
bliss, overjoyed to traverse miles of country which he would
never visit alone. An occasional tender word contents him,
but without companionship he can do nothing. Strange
that we recognize this instinct in the animal, and often
ignore it in the child.
Every child needs companionship ; to have some one to
whom every joy ma\' be imparted. Some of the most con-scientious
and devoted parents who have lived have been
those who have never kissed their children, and the same
habit of repression still shows itself in some households in
regard to all communications with the young.
A woman of genius, not now living, once told me she did
not know how to tell time until she was eighteen, because
her father had undertaken to explain it to her when she was
twelve, and she was afraid to let him know that she had
failed to comprehend him. Yet she said that he had never
in his life spoken to her one harsh word. It was simply
the attitude of cold repression that froze her. " His heart
was pure—and terrible. I think there was not another like
it on earth.'"
—
Exc/iaiip-c.
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. , 2)3
Oliver Wendell Homes said: " The human race is divided
into two classes—those who go ahead and do something,
and those who sit and inquire, 'why wasn't it done the
other way?'
"
And when the world shall link your names
With gracious lives and manners fine,
The teacher shall assert her claims.
And proudl}- whisper, "These are mine."
—]\']iitticr.
SPEAKING.
Speaking should be used among the ^•ery first steps in
education. Children should be encouraged to tell the argu-ments
of the stories they read. They should also be encour-aged
to discuss things they have seen and heard. There is
clanger of having them talk too much, however. Caution
is necessary ; they must be taught to penetrate to tlie essen-tials,
and to use few words.
There are many exercises adapted to class use. Students
may be timed, and given three or five minutes to tell some
folk-lore story, or the}' may be led to give an argument of
some poem or drama that they may be reading. This exer-cise
can be adapted to the youngest and to the most advanced
student. A beginning may be made with one of the tales
of the "Wayside Inn" or " Evangeline," or a subject may
be assigned as difficult as the argument of a Greek pla}-.
Another very impertant exercise is discussion. A student
should be allowed to select a topic in which he is interested.
This may be the simplest event about the school or college,
or it may be some great national or international issue.
The students should be timed to speak from three to five
34 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
minutes ; the timing is very important, as they must be
trained to penetrate to fundamentals and to give these in
few words. Good speaking must be more concise than
essay-writing or story-telling.
—
From ^'School of Expres-sion^''''
Boston.
EXPRESSIONS TO BE AVOIDED.
Guess, for suppose or think.
Fix, for arrange or prepare.
Ride and drive, interchangeable. (Americanism).
Real, as an adverb, in expressions real good for reallv or
very good, etc.
Some or any,' in an adverbial sense, e. g.: "I have studied
some," for somewhat; "I have not studied an}','' for at all.
Some ten days, for about ten da}-s.
Not as I know, for that I know.
Storms, for it rains or snows, moderately.
Try an experiment, for make an experiment.
Singular subject with contracted plural verb e. g.: ''She
don't skate well."
Plural pronoun with singular antecedent : Every man
or woman do ''their" duty; or, if you look anyone straight
in the face "they" wall flinch.
Expect, for suspect.
First rate, as an adverb.
Nice, indiscriminately.
Had rather, for would rather.
Had better, for would better.
Right away, for immediately.
Party, for person.
Promise, for assure.
Posted, for informed.
Post graduate, for graduate.
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. ' 35
Depot, for station.
Tr)' and go, for try to go.
Try and do, for try to do.
Cunning, for smart, dainty.
Cute, for acnte.
Funny, for odd or nnusnal.
Above, foregoing, more than or beyond.
Does it look good enough, for well enough.
The matter of, for the matter with.
Ivike I do, for as I do.
Not as good as, for not so good as.
Feel badly, for feel bad.
Feel good, for feel well.
Between seven, for among seven.
Seldom or ever, for seldom if ever, or seldom or never.
Taste or smell of, when used transitively.
More than yon think for, for more than you think.
These kind, for this kind.
Nicely, in response to an inquiry.
Health)-, for wholesome.
Just as soon, for just as lief.
Kind of, to indicate a moderate degree.
WHOM THE GODS LOVE DIE YOUNG."
THE REASON GIVEN BY A GIRL FOR REFUSING AN OFFER
OF MARRIAGE.
"Ah, Miss Young," simpered the old professor to the
prett}' scholar, "yon are a favorite of the gods, I think. '
"Yes?" she responded with a questioning blush.
"Yes, my dear," he said, coming a little closer; "and
with mortals, too," he stammered.
36 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
"Yes?" she replied again, oh, so innoceiith'.
"And—and with one especially," he said insinuating-ly.
"Yes?"
"x\nd—and—Miss Young, will you marry nie?'' he
exclaimed, catching at her hand.
She let him take it and with an arch look she said con-clusively
:
"No, Professor, no, whom the gods love die Young.
The lesson in philosophy went on as before.
—
Detroit
Free Press.
THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER. 2il
EDITORIAL.
Have you paid your subscription to The Teacher
for the year? If not, isn't this a good time for doing so?
The schools are all full of children, and some are even
''running over." Isn't this a sign of returning good times
for North Carolina? We think so.
This number begins the thirteenth volume of The
Teacher, and we intend to try to make it bright and
sparkling with educational news, and useful to every
teacher. We want to hear from you in a contribution upon
some educational question.
We want teachers to wTite to us. Tell us what you
have been doing during the summer vacation, and where
you are now^ at work. Tell us all the school news in your
county, and let us know- what teachers have married, or
died, or changed their work or residence.
Our public schools are now in the hands of the new Count}'
Examiners who take the place of the former Superintend-ents.
The duties of the new office are much the same as
before, and we are glad to note that the schools are continu-ing
to prosper and our new County Examiners are doing
their work well.
The Teacher will publish the views of any responsible
person upon any educational subject, but it is not to be sup-posed
that the editor endorses all the opinions of contribu-tors
simph' because he publishes them. The mission of
The Teacher is to give every side of every educational
question a fair hearing, and this we shall try to do.
38 THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER.
Every teacher who can do so should spend at least three
days at the Atlanta Exposition. The exhibit is the best
ever seen in the South, and a visit to it is worth to a teacher
several years of reading and study. On certain days of each
week the railroad ticket is onh* one fare for round trip, and
good board and lodging in Atlanta may be had for $1.50 a
da}'. A week's trip ought to be made for $20, to include
all necessary expenses.
Do YOU think that a really live and progressive teacher
in this State can afford to do without The North Caro-lina
Teacher? Of course you want to "keep in touch"
with the brotherhood, and the only way to enjoy this privi-lege
is to have your name on the subscription book of your
State journal of education. No person can do good work
without good tools, and the educational journal is one of
the teacher's most valuable tools.
It matters not whether )-our salary is fifteen or forty
dollars a month, if you have accepted a school for this sea-son
it is your dut)^ to do the ver)- best work of which yon
are capable. You may be employed by a "cheap school
committee," but you are working for priceless boys and
girls. With the committee your work may end in a few
months, or until they can find a cheaper teacher, but with
your pupils your work, whether good or bad, is to be a
thing of a lifetime. Then, teacher, whoever you may be,
if you feel that you are not being paid enough for your
work, do not "even up" by neglecting 3'our pupils, but
resign your place at once, for you cannot afford to sacrifice
your self-respect and integrit}' by holding the position
unfaithfulh' even for another da^.